April 10, 2007
Fords Tame Bears, 7-3;
Zier Fans Career-High 11 in Win
HAVERFORD, PA - Senior
pitcher Travis Zier struck out a career-high 11 batters and allowed
only two earned runs in seven innings of work to lead host Haverford
past visiting Ursinus, 7-3, Tuesday afternoon in Centennial Conference
baseball action. Senior outfielder Ben Einbinder and sophomore outfielder
Dean Laganosky each registered three hits to pace the Haverford
offense. The win snaps a three-game skid for the Fords, and improves
their record to 12-7 overall and 3-4 in conference play. Ursinus
drops to 16-7 and 7-2 with the loss.
The Bears jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first
inning, but Laganosky led off the Fords bottom half of the inning
with his first home run of the season over the left field fence
to knot the game at one. Laganosky led off the third inning with
a double down the left field line and proceeded to steal his first
of three bags in the game with one out, and scored on a throwing
error by the Ursinus catcher to pull Haverford ahead, 2-1. The Fords
tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth when freshman
Chase Kennedy hit a sacrifice fly to center field, plating senior
Ryan Stephens who led off the inning with walk.
Haverford broke the game open with a three-run fifth inning. Laganosky
led off the fifth with a walk and stole second. Freshman second
baseman Jake Kaden singled to right and advanced to second on a
wild pitch, putting runners on second and third with no outs. Senior
outfielder Ben Field followed with a double down the right field
line, scoring Laganosky and Kaden for Haverford's fourth and fifth
runs of the game. Einbinder singled to right field, driving in Field
to put the Fords up 6-1 after five innings. Ursinus scored a run
in the seventh and eighth innings, but the Fords responded in the
eighth as sophomore Chris Dooley led off the frame with a double
and scored on a throwing error by the Ursinus pitcher while fielding
a bunt off the bat of freshman Robbie Crabtree.
Zier tossed seven brilliant innings for the Fords, scattering seven
hits while walking only one batter to earn his second win of the
season (2-3). Senior pitcher John Castronova finished the game on
the hill, striking out two batters in two innings of work.
Zier's 11 strikeouts in the game is the most since Steve Zyman fanned
ten Swarthmore batters on May 2, 2005. Zier's previous individual
record for strikeouts in a game came on March 11, 2004 when he fanned
eight against Minnesota-Morris.
Laganosky finished his day at the plate 3-for-4 with a home run,
double, walk, three runs scored, RBI and three stolen bases. Laganosky
currently has 23 steals on the season and is only six shy of the
program steals record in a season (29) set by Brandon Mills in 2004
& 2005.
Einbinder also went 3-for-4 with a RBI. Einbinder is now hitting
a Centennial best .475 on the season (29-of-61).
Haverford will host non-conference opponent Gwynedd-Mercy Wednesday
at 3:30 p.m.
